A May 18th adjournment brought to a close the first half of the 74th biennial session of the Vermont General Assembly. Drama awaits as Gov. Phil Scott has threatened to veto H.518, the fiscal year 2018 budget, over an...more
5/30/2017
/ ACOs ,
Affordable Housing ,
Biologics ,
Carbon Taxes ,
Cell Towers ,
Decriminalization of Marijuana ,
Economic Development ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Energy-Efficiency Tax Credits ,
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) ,
Escrow Accounts ,
First Amendment ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lifeline Program ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Mental Health ,
Mortgages ,
Net Metering ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Power Grid ,
Pregnancy Discrimination ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Reasonable Accommodation ,
Retirement Plan ,
Rural Development ,
Sexual Assault ,
Social Media Policy ,
State Budgets ,
Students ,
Suicide ,
Telecommunications ,
Telemarketing ,
Telemedicine ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Toxic Exposure ,
Water
Senate Committee Rejects Anti-Uber Amendment -
The Senate Finance Committee on Friday afternoon unanimously rejected a proposal from the Senate Judiciary Committee to impose high automobile liability insurance limits on...more
5/11/2017
/ ACOs ,
Auto Insurance ,
Duty to Warn ,
EB-5 ,
EB-5 Regional Centers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lyft ,
Medical Marijuana ,
Mental Health ,
Misclassification ,
Paid Leave ,
PTSD ,
Rural Development ,
Sharing Economy ,
Suicide ,
Telemedicine ,
Uber ,
Workers Compensation Awards
Senate Money Panel Passes Budget Bill -
On a vote of 7-0, the Senate Appropriations Committee passed a $5.8 billion budget on Friday that closes a $72 million projected gap between revenues and expenditures in the 2018...more
4/25/2017
/ ACOs ,
Emergency Response ,
Environmental Policies ,
Financial Institutions ,
Hazardous Substances ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Legislative Committees ,
Mental Health ,
Misclassification ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Paid Leave ,
State and Local Government ,
State Budgets ,
Tax Increment Financing ,
Wage and Hour
Trial Bar Proposes Anti-Ride-Sharing Amendments to Insurance Bill -
The Senate Judiciary Committee considered amendments this week proposed by the Vermont Trial Lawyers Association that would likely force Uber out of...more
4/11/2017
/ Affordable Housing ,
Auto Insurance ,
Consumer Lenders ,
Electricity ,
Energy Sector ,
Energy Storage ,
Health Insurance ,
Independent Contractors ,
Insurance Industry ,
Insurance Regulations ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Licensing Rules ,
Low Income Housing ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Medicaid ,
Mental Health ,
Mortgage Loan Originators ,
Power Grid ,
Private Right of Action ,
Proposed Legislation ,
Renewable Energy ,
Sharing Economy ,
Telemedicine ,
Uber ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
Paid Family Leave Could Be Costly -
The House Committee on Ways and Means took up H.196, the Paid Family Leave bill this week after it passed out of the House Committee on General, Housing and Military Affairs over...more
4/3/2017
/ ACOs ,
Carbon Taxes ,
Commercial Insurance Policies ,
Emergency Response ,
Greenhouse Gas Emissions ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lyft ,
Misclassification ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Sharing Economy ,
Telemedicine ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Uber ,
Wage and Hour
The House Ways and Means Committee is considering a proposal from the Vermont Department of Taxes to reduce the amount of use tax a person can pay without providing records to prove his or her tax liability. The rate would...more
3/21/2017
/ ACOs ,
Ambulance Providers ,
Economic Development ,
Emergency Response ,
Firemen ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Lifeline Program ,
Low-Income Issues ,
Mental Health ,
Misclassification ,
Nurses ,
Paid Family Leave Law ,
Police ,
Proposed Legislation ,
PTSD ,
Sales & Use Tax ,
Sexual Assault ,
Social Media Policy ,
Tax Liability ,
Telecommunications ,
Tobacco Regulations ,
Toxic Chemicals ,
Ways and Means Committee ,
Workers' Compensation Claim
House Commerce Considers Independent Contractors, Again -
Vermont's business community continues to plead with lawmakers to update the statute defining independent contractors, arguing that current law is costly and...more
3/7/2017
/ Economic Development ,
Economic Realities Test ,
Employee Definition ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Mental Health ,
Misclassification ,
Motor Vehicles ,
Nurses ,
Proposed Legislation ,
PTSD ,
Public Schools ,
Rural Areas ,
Rural Development ,
Suicide ,
Tax Increases ,
Urban Planning & Development ,
Wage and Hour ,
Water ,
Workers' Compensation Defense
Equipment Supplier/Dealer Bill Moving in Commerce -
A bill that would tip the scales in contract negotiations between farm and yard equipment suppliers and their local dealers has passed the Senate and is now pending...more
3/29/2016
/ Broadband ,
Disclosure Requirements ,
Drug & Alcohol Abuse ,
Drug Pricing ,
Economic Development ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Pesticides ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Retail Market ,
Suppliers ,
Telecommunications ,
Workplace Violence
Committee Decides Physician Acquisition Disclosure Bill Is Unnecessary -
The Senate Health and Welfare Committee has decided not to pursue consideration of S.245, a proposal to require disclosure of new affiliations...more
3/1/2016
/ Affiliated-Business Arrangements ,
Antitrust Violations ,
Audits ,
Coal ,
Divestment ,
Economic Development ,
Exxon Mobil ,
Health Care Providers ,
Independent Contractors ,
Legislative Agendas ,
Penalties ,
Permits ,
Prescription Drugs ,
Telecommunications ,
Water Quality
Support has begun to gel in the House Commerce and Economic Development Committee around a bill that would clarify the status of independent contractors. Many businesses, particularly in the construction industry, have been...more
Paid Sick Leave Bill Appears on Track for Passage -
The Senate Economic Development, Housing and General Affairs Committee on Thursday approved its version of a House-passed bill, H.187, that would require many Vermont...more
Labor Commissioner Proposes Independent Contractor Legislation -
Few issues have proven to be as perennially vexing to the legislature as the definition of “independent contractor.” Legislators hear repeated complaints...more
Legislators this session will grapple with an estimated $58 million budget gap for fiscal year 2017, of which $53 million is attributed to Medicaid. With Vermont’s Medicaid program now covering one in three Vermonters, the...more